Linda D. Bosserman, MD, of City of Hope, discusses guidelines vs pathways, how to personalize pathways, integrated diagnostics, supportive care regimens, and financial guidance for patients with cancer.
Joseph O. Jacobson, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and this year’s recipient of the award for excellence in quality cancer care, discusses the need for quality improvement (QI) to encompass systems of care, the role of QI in preventing suffering, how poor quality affects patient safety, and the ways in which oncologists can learn from errors in other industries.
Cristina Merkhofer, MD, MHS, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, discusses study results showing that for patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer at her institution, enrolling in a therapeutic drug clinical trial was associated with a 47% lower risk of death, compared with not taking part in a trial (Abstract 137).
Mallika Sharma, MPH, of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses her findings that, by doing away with the many prior authorization denials based on administrative errors, providers may offer higher-value care by eliminating unnecessary anxiety among patients, administrative burdens, and increased costs (Abstract 9).
Ryan Huey, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses his findings that showed the large financial burden on lower-income patients enrolled in phase I trials (Abstract 8).
Bernardo H. L. Goulart, MD, of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discusses his findings that high out-of-pocket costs for oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors may lower survival rates, shorten the duration of therapy, and reduce the number of prescriptions for patients with metastatic EGFR- or ALK-positive non–small cell lung cancer (Abstract 3).
